Parcel returns...beware!

[poppett]

I had a parcel to return to Empire stores recently. The paperwork enclosed said if I used the Post Office they would impose a £1 charge on my next statement. There was no label to contact the courier directly, so I had no option but to try their automatic phone service..........Beware folks, for this costs £1 as well. If I had known that I would have gone to the post office in the first place. To add insult to injury the goods were only being returned because the item was wrongly labelled and it was a child`s size sent not an adults.

Today I asked the courier for his direct number when he made his latest delivery, so will contact him directly in future.

New form of highway robbery?

[gardenergirl]

Debenhams is another one to look out for. Have you ever tried to return a parcel to them? NOT easy! You have to phone them to arrange to have it picked up by a courier on a certain day, but don't hold your breath waiting for them to turn up. Recently my mum waited in on 4 days for them to collect a parcel, phoning up at the end of each day to ask where they were. No explaination was offered, only 'what other day would you prefer?'. In the end she had to get angry with them, and demand a returns label for the post office. Very poor customer service. [evil]

[stekar]

Blimey, I've shopped with Empire for donkeys years but might not for much longer.

Got a parcel this week, but can't see anywhere about any charges being imposed to return at the Post Office. Maybe they're saving that for my next order?

[poppett]

It was in tiny print on the invoice about the £1 being added to the next statement if PO used. They do not tell you anywhere that phoning to get the courier to uplift will incur £1 charge on your phone bill or debit if you pay as you talk.

I only found about the fee to return via PO the first time when it appeared on my statement without any notice. When I phoned it was removed and since then it has been written on the invoice.

[rockchick]

For the telephone service, sometimes you can get an alternative number if you search the "saynoto0870.com" website. I get free landline calls, but not to national numbers so use this site to check for alternatives - usually with success! (so far have only been unsuccessful with Inland Revenue - of course...)

I just used it to check for Empire Direct, and there's a whole list of numbers you can call.

[poppett]

Thanks for that Rockchick. I used the link to get an 01 number for SKy tv installation for the same reason as you do with the free calls package to 01 02 and 03 numbers.

Will definately use it again, thanks

[balto]

i had a really bad time retuning books to grolier, i got their courier to pick them up, and as proof of them being collected all i got was a sticker with a phone number on them, now 2 sets of books i returned to them last christmas, were still appearing on my account, and when i phoned them they told me they hadnt yet recieved them, after a lot of shouting they finally took these of my account, then the next day they phoned offering me more books, which i told them not to phone me again as i didnt want anymore books from them, and opnce i had paid they books that i did have off, could they close my account.